Gidget vs Vet Tech

[Galatea]

I have had Gidget for 10 days. I picked her out several weeks ago and had visited her a few times before she came to my house. She is 11 1/2 weeks old today.

Gidget has puppy worms. (Don't get me started on the breeder) She also had some ear stuff I wanted checked. I took her to the vet today to get completely checked out since I no longer trust what the breeder told me.

The 20 something vet tech comes in and takes Gidget out of her crate and immediately starts poking in her inflamed red ear. Gidget makes a little bark, squirms and opens her mouth. This was not an aggressive bark at all. No one was bitten. 20 something vet tech flips her on her back to get her submissive and says no about 100 times in a stern voice while Gidget lays there doing nothing. As Vet tech is doing this, she tells me that Gidget has serious issues and will need to work one on one with a trainer, because she is likely to end up in a shelter.

She asks me if I understand about the alpha in the house. I tell her I do - That Gidget never sleeps in my bed; she has to sit and be clam before she gets food; I enter all doorways first; etc. etc. etc. I tell her she gets on her back all the time and lets me rub her and she does it for visitors, too. I tell her that she is full of worms and has ear inflammation and perhaps she just didn't feel like being in a strange place and having someone just go into her ears with no "foreplay". Vet tech tells me that Gidget needs to be able to do this with no notice when anyone wants to do this to her.

Next, she tells Gidget she has been a bad girl and puts her in her crate and says she needs to stay there because she can't be trusted. Keep in mind, after the initial bark, squirm, and open mouth, there has been about a 6 minute exchange with no issue. Vet tech leaves.

Female 20 something vet walks in now and has not even seen the dog and says, "I understand this dog has some serious behavioral issues and she needs professional help so that she doesn't end up in a shelter." I tell vet that she is enrolled in puppy classes and I have had no problems with her. She wants to know who I am working with. I tell her she is enrolled at the Petsmart puppy class and that my family and several of my friends have worked with the trainer there with their puppies and all have great dogs. She tells me Petsmart is no good and probably won't help this. She has not seen the dog do a damn thing at this point.



I call 3 people who have spent a lot of time with Gidget and ask them if I am in denial and if she seems to have some serious issues. They all say no.

[Dan & Corinne]

Find another vet!

First of all the tech sould not be the one swabbing the ears! And my goodness any vet or vet tech should be gentle with a new puppy! Shame on them!

I would definitely not go back. I do hope you have other vets in your area.

[Galatea]

They do, and I will.

[Bnot]

I know where I go, they say hello, and pet my dogs before they even start. Geez, think I'd certainly change vets if I were you!

[njoydaride]

Poor Gidget. I hope you find a better vet soon!

[pepe mint]

i'm speechless. i would def. go to another vet. my vet is still so gentle with maggie...and was EXTRA gentle with her as a new pup. I would FLIP out and tell her that maybe SHE has issues and needs some training!!! jerk

well, i do hope your baby is ok...and hopefully you will find a nice, compassionate vet that you can trust. it is so important.

[Galatea]

I hope to God I am not in denial. Gidget is most certianly a spunky pistol. She was the alpha of the litter and I don't want to be one of those in denial dog owners.

The vet tech told me that a puppy that age should be submissive and let people do stuff to her.

I have read everything I can get my hands on before getting her. This is the first time I have ever had a puppy. My other dogs from the past I got when they were 2 years old. I never had any issues with any of my dogs. She is a puppy and I know they like to nip and use their teeth. When she tries to do that to me, I just say no, and divert her to a chew toy.

Am I in denial? What are other 12 week yorkies like?

[MyFairLacy]

Oh my goodness, if the situation was really as you described then do not listen to a thing they said! If your ear was sore and hurting and someone starting poking it like that, it would hurt! Your baby wasn't feeling good and her ear was really hurting her and someone was poking it. Even the most most well-behaved dog out there would yelp and even possibly bite if it was in enough pain. Your puppy sounds like she is very normal and in no way has any behavioral issues. I would have gone off on that vet tech as soon as she flipped her on her back, and I definitely wouldn't have listened to to all that "going to end up in a shelter" crap. I would have given them a piece of my mind and told them I was leaving right then. If they insisted on payment, I'd tell them that every dog owner you knew was going to hear how terrible they were. I would definitely find a new vet! And I would call and complain to the one you saw and tell them why you are not coming back. Who in their right mind flips a little 11 week old puppy on their back and yells "NO" at them several times. That's going to scare the puppy and give it behavioral issues. Don't take your puppy back - your dog will learn to be terrified of going to the vet.

[OLIVIA_KARHIS]

no puppy will be submissive and let people do stuff to them, when there in PAIN and have some one poking on them when they dont feel good.

I would have gone off on her if my vet told me my furbabys are being a bad girl. The way your baby acts or dose not act is none of there concern, unless she bites them.

The vet is there so your baby can feel better not so she can fuss at you and your baby and tell her and you she is being bad. When she is not. The tech should not even have done anything to the pup but weighted them and the vet should not have SAID a thing about how your baby was acting. UNLESS she saw this in person and then she should have told you in a nice way, you should put your baby in dog class to help show who the alpha dog is.

I would find a different vet! That vet dose not know what he is doing! That poor baby.

Hope she feels better soon!

[Thea]

I am sorry that you had to go through that!!! I would be looking for a new vet. I agree that if a baby is not feeling well, they will not always be real cooperative. Some people are so rude!!!! Give Gidget some great big kisses and a treat or something!!!

Thea and Roxee

[MyFairLacy]

Oh, forgot to ask how she's doing after the visit? I hope she's feeling better.

[Galatea]

Originally Posted by MyFairLacy

Oh, forgot to ask how she's doing after the visit? I hope she's feeling better.

Thanks for your concern.

She is very subdued - for her. She was given a chewable tablet for the worms. I gave it to her and I just felt her belly and she is much thinner under her rib cage and now has a big bloaty ball down by her lower belly. I have a feeling we will be having a massive worm sighting later tonight or tomorrow.

I irrigated her ears with a solution I was given, so she has had a pretty intrusive day.

Hopefully this will soon be all behind us.

[Peters]

nope they shouldnt have done that and i would have grabbed my pup as soon as she started messing woth her saying she was bad shes a puppy! anyone with the least bit of common sense would know a dog will move jump cry snip if you poke n prod a hurt area!they dont liek their ears messed with anyways a vet tech will hold a dogs nose to look in ears only so it doesnt shake its head while the instrument is inside the ear! i would call the vet or go back and tell them that that tech needs to be evaluated for some serious issues! she has no right at all to try and make you or your dog feel bad..i would HATE to see her with any animal that does have agression issues for real if she thinks a tiny yorkie pup is bad! so people are just annoying know it alls even when they arent! shame on her!

[LunasMomma]

Originally Posted by Galatea

I hope to God I am not in denial. Gidget is most certianly a spunky pistol. She was the alpha of the litter and I don't want to be one of those in denial dog owners.

The vet tech told me that a puppy that age should be submissive and let people do stuff to her.

I have read everything I can get my hands on before getting her. This is the first time I have ever had a puppy. My other dogs from the past I got when they were 2 years old. I never had any issues with any of my dogs. She is a puppy and I know they like to nip and use their teeth. When she tries to do that to me, I just say no, and divert her to a chew toy.

Am I in denial? What are other 12 week yorkies like?

QUACKS!!!!! Yea, just like human babies should let people do stuff to them I'm glad you're looking for a new vet, those @sswipes sound like they're trying to reach deeper into your pockets. 12 week old pups are supposed to be spunky, and if someone poked me in my very sore ear,I'd bark and try to nip too! I hope your baby isn't traumatized by their rough treatment Jerks!

And NO, you are NOT in denial! She's a BABY for pete's sake, she still has lots of learning to do with you. I can't believe they were talking about her ending up in a shelter, WTF?!?!

[paulapoo]

My dogs sleep in my bed, and sometimes walk through doors before me if they are excited. They are very well behaved, non-aggressive dogs, but if their ears were sore and someone started poking on them, they may have something to say about it. I would!!! It sounds like they weren't even trying to be gentle. My vet coo's softly to Otis when she's examining him, it really helps. I can't imaging being so desensitized that you could NOT be gentle and soft with a baby.